Nosy Shinobies
by kohana28
Summary: What will happen if the four best chuunins of Konoha decided to spy on the girls? Sasusaku Naruhina Shikaino Nejiten
1. Revelations

Nosy Shinobies

By: kohana28

Chapter 1: Revelations

Disclaimer: It's too troublesome; all of you know the truth right?

Rays of the golden sun penetrated through the thick branches of and old cherry tree where an obsidian-eyed lad is currently leaning.

"Ahhhhhhhh! Why are we cursed with the most tardy and perverted sensei? Why?" Naruto wailed as his three companions sighed loudly.

He had been going on about this about an hour of the time they had spent waiting for their sensei. It was because of an important training they were about to receive though the reason behind it, they don't know

"Shut up dobe." Sasuke said monotonously.

"Ha! Don't pretend to be so cool teme! I know you're just irritated as I am with this. I mean why do we need this stupid training anyway? It's not as if we don't train ourselves." Naruto complained with a childish pout.

"Hn. At least we're not whining and complaining there like a total idiot." Sasuke retorted.

"TEME! Prepare to die!" Naruto growled furiously as he prepared to lunge at Sasuke who had his eyes closed, not moving an inch.

Shikamaru sighed and muttered something under his breath before standing up from position awhile ago and pulling Naruto away from Sasuke before he even reached him.

"Hey! Put me down, let me go. Let me at him!" Naruto protested while struggling to get out of Shikamaru's grip on him.

"You are too troublesome for your own good Naruto." Shikamaru said as he put Naruto down and lied in the grass again to watch the clouds. Naruto just pouted.

Hours passed by and still no sign of Kakashi or his perverted book.

"Ahhhh! It's so boring let's play!" Naruto said breaking the silence as well as distracting Shikamaru from his cloud watching, waking the Hyuuga prodigy who was apparently sleeping while leaning on a tree and snapping Sasuke out of his brooding.

"We do not play childish games –"Neji said flatly.

"-- especially with an idiot like you …dobe" continued Sasuke while glaring daggers at him then at Neji.

Neji in return glared back at him.

"It's too troublesome." Shikamaru said as he yawned sleepily and focused his attention back at the clouds.

"Come on guys! I'm just going to ask some questions from you okay? Just to kill time! PPLLLEEAASSEE!" Naruto pleaded with puppy-dog eyes, complete with fake tears and a childish pout, only from Konoha's loud-mouthed idiot.

The three men resisted the urge to send Naruto flying for about at least 150 kilometers from them.

'Does this man have no shame?' they all thought.

Naruto continues to whine like a baby…not a very good sight either.

'Apparently, not' they all thought with disgust.

"Fine, fine. Ask all you want. Just stop from being a whiny, idiotic moron even for a moment okay? Some of us want silence you know!" bellowed Sasuke.

"Yay! Okay, let's start with you Sasuke since you seem to be so excited about this, ne?" Naruto said as he strode towards Sasuke and began pestering him.

"Do you like someone?" Naruto asked slyly to Sasuke who just pretended he doesn't care and has his eyes closed while leaning on a tree, an old cherry tree.

Minutes have passed, still Naruto hasn't given up on Sasuke, finally he snapped at him, annoyed at the big filthy, blabbering mouth of Naruto.

"Listen and listen well, I DO NOT LIKE SAKURA OKAY!" He shouted as he held Naruto by his collar and dropped him instantly.

Then, he noticed the weird stare his companions are giving him. Even Naruto hasn't got up from the ground where he landed.

"WHAT!" he asked irritated at the way they're acting.

Neji spoke first. "Do you realize that Naruto here is only asking you if you like someone and then you shouted at him telling you do not like Sakura when he did not even mentioned her?"

Naruto smirked widely at him as he helped himself up.

"I knew it! Our little Sasuke is growing up!" Naruto said with fake tears as he ran to Sasuke to give him a hug… only to be met with a fist.

Naruto appeared beside Neji as Sasuke only punched a bunshin of him.

"Okay, time to move on. How about you Neji? Huh?" He asked with innocent face plastered on.

"You can move on Naruto. I don't like anyone." Neji said coolly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ohhhh harsh, aren't we Neji but we're not falling for that! So make it easy for you and tell us." he said.

"……"

"You know I think I saw Tenten with Lee the other day …." Naruto said off-handedly.

"WHAT? WHERE DID YOU SEE THEM? WH—" he was cut off when he noticed the smug expression of Naruto and the bewildered looks of Sasuke and Shikamaru.

'Shit.' He thought as he realized he had been in a trap.

"Okay, so let's recall. Sasuke loves Sakura," this earned a glare from Sasuke with a microscopic blush "Neji loves Tenten," Neji glowered murderously at him "I love Hinata-chan –"he was cut off by an enraged Neji.

"What?" Neji asked Naruto with glint of pure murder in his eyes as he advanced to the bewildered Naruto.

"H-hey, Neji! I'm not doing anything to her. She doesn't even know yet!" Naruto exclaimed, backing away from Neji.

"You'd better, or else…" Neji warned him, finally calming down.

"Okay. Shikamaru, admit to us that you like that Sasuke-obsessed freak!" Naruto stated.

Shikamaru tuned to glare at him. "Don't call her that Naruto!"

"Ha! So you admit it! You have a thing for her!" he said triumphantly as he did a little victory dance. Shikamaru just sweat dropped seeing his action.

After that, all of them are lost in their own world.

Inside Sasuke's utterly confused world …

'Hn. That dobe. Why did I act that way anyway? It's not as if I even like her and her soft pink hair with that creamy white skin and those green orbs that plague his mind till dawn during the night. He considered it as a fleeting attraction. A mild one. Right?'

In the Hyuuga's jealous mind ….

'That idiot. I do not know how he managed to outwit me, THE HYUUGA NEJI. I should not have believed him in the first place. So what if my sparring partner had been with my best friend? I will of course feel anything BUT betrayal of my friends? Tch. I'm thinking too much. ……still……'

Shikamaru's complex befuddled mind ….

'Naruto is so troublesome! Whatever was he thinking? Ahh, thinking so much is too troublesome, like that troublesome woman who's always on my mind along with her ;long golden locks that moves with her every movement … wait what am I thinking? Describing her is too troublesome….'

A couple of hours passed, still no sign of Kakashi.

"AHHHHHH! Why are we cursed with perverted senseis? WHY?

"Don't ask us dobe. You were cursed with two." Sasuke remarked bluntly.

"I know! Let's play another game! So, what do you think guys?" Naruto said while looking around expecting a positive answer.

"No." they all said flatly.

"Oh come on! Don't be such a party-pooper. We could spy on the girls." Naruto stated excitedly.

Neji broke from their glaring contest upon hearing on what the fox boy said. "You're sick." He said disgustingly.

Sasuke turned to Naruto and said wearily "As expected, coming from a dobe like you, the idea is obviously a trash."

'It seems like you picked up a thing or two from that perverted sannin Naruto." Shikamaru said.

"NO! You guys. I was not thinking of anything perverted. What I mean was we could know their secrets, anyway there's nothing to do. Heaven knows that our perverted teacher won't be here for at least a couple of hours, so what do you think? Huh? Huh?"

The blonde boy said absolutely giddy at the prospect of spying the girls.

'Well, I do want to know if Sakura has grown on me …. I mean where did that come from?' Sasuke thought as he tried to brush away the thought.

"Alright dobe, I'll go to this stupid thing." Sasuke said monotonously while eying Naruto suspiciously. "No funny business okay?"

"Alright! Teme will go! How about you, Neji?" Naruto asked looking hopefully at Neji.

'Come to think of it, maybe I'll find out if Tenten likes me…. erm…. I mean as a friend." Neji thought as a small amount of blood made its way on his face.

"Whatever." Neji replied while looking away. Naruto then looked expectedly at Shikamaru.

"Fine, but what if they caught us? Huh? What will we do?" Shikamaru pointed out to them.

"Oh come on! We're ninja's for Hokage's sake!" Naruto cried desperately.

The other three looked thoughtful for a moment then slowly nodded.

"Hn."

"Whatever."

"This is too troublesome…"

"Alright! Now, we have to find them. Where could they be?" Naruto said as scratched the back of his head.

Suddenly they heard a loud giggle followed by splashing of water and shrieking.

"I think I have an idea where …" Naruto said as they followed the sound, rather noise silently, as a mouse.

A/N: Please review and help me improve my fanfic by writing your comments there about it. Arigatou!


	2. Tenten' Secret Crush

Chapter 2: Tenten's Secret crush!

Disclaimer: Hn, I don't own DOBE because he is a complete moron and he has the loudest blabbering mouth.

"Aaiiiiiieeeeeeeeee! Ino-pig! How dare you! You'll pay for that!" Sakura said with mock glare as she splashed some water to Ino.

"Forehead-girl! Take this! "Ino countered and splashed water right into her face. Then they both fell down and laughed.

Sakura and Ino had invited Hinata and Tenten for a picnic today. When Sakura found the perfect spot accompanied by a clear lake, she changed plans and told them to wear swimming outfits.

"You, guys! Aren't you hungry? Let's go eat first. What did you bring for our snack anyway?" Tenten called to them as she got out of the water. She's wearing a brown two piece suit that Ino picked out for her at their shopping earlier.

Meanwhile at the bushes, the four chuunin found comfortable places behind the bushes, near enough to see them clearly and hear the girls' conversations. They toned down their chakras so the girls won't be able to sense them.

When Neji saw Tenten, a good amount of blood rushed up to his cheeks making him look like a tomato. There was also blood oozing from his nose that he quickly wiped which the other three noticed and caused them to smirk widely.

"Ne, Neji, you like Tenten, don't you?" Naruto said as he raised his eyebrows at him as if daring him to deny it. Neji looked defiant though.

"Whatever made you say that, Naruto?" Neji said flatly.

"Well the blush on your cheeks is enough proof on me." Naruto said with a huff.

"I am not blushing, Naruto. You must be going blind." Neji replied calmly, trying to internally compose himself.

"Hah! Nice comeback you got there! Even a blind can see that blush!" Naruto said.

"The dobe's right Hyuuga. If that was not blush, what do you call the red hue that appeared on your pale face the moment you saw Tenten? Do you have a terrible case of sunburn?" Sasuke said mockingly.

Neji's face grew hot.

"Mind your own business Uchiha." He said while glaring at him still blushing.

Sasuke just smirked at him which made the Hyuuga even more pissed

Although before they could interrogate the shocked Hyuuga more (in which he is most thankful for), Hinata soon followed suit and came out of the water revealing her one-piece brown swimsuit that hugs the curves of her body perfectly, courtesy of Ino of course.

'Eeew, Naruto, are you drooling? It's mixed with blood coming from your nose.' Shikamaru pointed out to him who looked utterly disgusted.

"Dobe." Sasuke said, revolted at Naruto's behavior.

"Shut up, Teme!" Naruto spat angrily at him as he wiped his face with the back of his hand

"Oy, Naruto, don't drool over my cousin!" Neji spat at Naruto as he shifted his gaze from Tenten and turned to glare murderously at Naruto.

"I am not!" Naruto said defiantly as he wiped the blood and drool from his face.

"Shush! They might hear us…" Shikamaru said as he tried to stop the two from their bickering.

They all froze and held their breath as they heard Ino talk.

"Hey, guys! Did you hear that?" she said suspiciously as she looked around as if trying to find something or rather someone. Finally her gaze landed on the bushes exactly where the four boys were hiding.

Shikamaru immediately turned bright crimson at the sight of Ino in her hot blue two piece which also shows her great body.

"It looks like everybody's caught Neji's bug." Sasuke said as the three glared at him hard.

"What's the matter Ino-pig?" Sakura asked with a hint of worry mixed with her voice as she too, got out of the water.

Sasuke's case was probably the worst. His face was the reddest color known to man and he has a blood rushing from his face like a waterfall (not to mention drool) all because of seeing a certain pink-haired kunoichi in a red two piece bikini that shows all her curves in the right places.

"Uchiha looks like you caught my bug, only yours the worst." Neji said obviously trying to get even at what he said to him earlier.

Shikamaru and Naruto snickered.

'Revenge is sweet…' Neji thought as he smirked inwardly seeing the flushed face of his rival who turned to glare at him.

"You're going down, Hyuuga." He said in gritted teeth.

"I'd like to see you try, Uchiha." He replied calmly, his glare matching Sasuke's.

Shikamaru and Naruto stopped snickering as they sensed another fight initiating from the two. The last fight they had, both of them ended in the hospital, each badly beaten.

"Guy, stop it. They might see or hear us." Naruto said worriedly as he imagined what would be let of them when Sakura learned that they have been spying on them, especially with Ino and Tenten there. And as for Hinata, you don't know what a quiet person can do when provoked.

The mere thought sent shivers running up through his spine. Who knows when they will get out of the hospital after these?

He's too young to die. He has his dreams to fulfill after all.

"I thought I heard something over there…" she said as she jerked her thumb towards the bush where the boys are hiding.

They tensed at her words as sweat came trailing down their faces.

'Oh, Kami! I knew it! Goodbye to my dreams of being the greatest hokage of Konoha.' Naruto thought dramatically.

'Troublesome woman…..and a pretty one too.' Shikamaru thought as he blushed lightly.

'It's the Uchiha's fault.' Neji thought.

'It's the Hyuuga's fault.' Sasuke thought.

Then, as if reading each other's thoughts, the two prodigies glared murderously at each other.

"Uchiha…" Neji said glaring.

"Hyuuga…" Sasuke said glaring.

Shikamaru and Naruto just groaned.

All of the girls focused their attention there.

"Probably just my imagination, come on let's eat!" she continued.

"Wow, Sakura! Did you made these chicken enchiladas? They're delicious!" Ino said after taking a bite of hers.

"Thanks Ino-pig!" Sakura said while smiling happily.

"You're welcome ….forehead-girl!" Ino replied.

They all laughed.

The boys all sighed, relieved they were not caught and hearing the laughter coming from the girls.

All of them are lost in their little worlds watching the unknowing kunoichis.

_Wow. I never knew Tenten had a great body. I mean when we spar, she only wears those Chinese tops and baggy shorts. Who would know she had a great body? I mean mow I know, I would be the sole survivor who would know. No one, as in NO ONE will see her in this state._

Neji was snapped out of his little reverie as he heard something interesting in what Ino inquired at Tenten.

"So, you're saying to us you have a secret crush?" Ino asked obviously interested.

Tenten just blushed and nodded timidly.

"Who's he?" Sakura asked as she took a bit of her sandwich.

Tenten's blush escalated to ten-folds.

"Well, can you just describe him? Maybe we can guess." Hinata offered shyly.

"Is he handsome?" Ino asked excitedly. Tenten nodded. Ino grinned.

Neji frowned at the scene that was unfolding before him. Tenten has a CRUSH!

'What the hell?' he thought furiously thinking of creative ways to kill whoever Tenten has been crushing on.

"Is he strong?" asked Sakura who was grinning broadly now. Tenten nodded again.

All the girls giggled while Tenten just blushed harder.

"Is he intelligent?" Hinata asked shyly in which Tenten agreed, again.

"Wow, looks like you've got Mr. Perfect there Tenten-chan!" Ino said jokingly

Tenten just smiled at them.

'I know…' she thought happily.

Meanwhile at the boy's hiding place, Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru are witnessing the stages of how a Hyuuga gets jealous and what happens. Deciding by the fiery/jealous aura that the Hyuuga prodigy is emitting, this was probably the next-to-last stage of the stage since his face was also burning hot like an active volcano ready to erupt any moment.

Neji DO NOT like even a bit, at where their conversations going.

"The three of them looked at each other and shrugged.

Shikamaru thought it was best to take the matter in to their hands….before it gets worse.

"Um, Neji? Are you…alright?" Shikamaru asked him carefully.

They were surprised when Neji looked at them with his byakugan activated.

Neji, realizing that he has activated his byakugan, deactivated it.

They all watched amusedly as the spidery veins around Neji's eyes disappeared.

'So, this is what happens when the Hyuuga's provoked…interesting.' Sasuke thought as he smirked inwardly.

'I never knew that a calm, cool and collected Hyuuga would end up like this! And they're just talking about Tenten's crush. Wonder how Sasuke will react when he's in Neji's place…..' Naruto thought, thinking of ways to do a prank on Sasuke now he confirmed the Uchiha's soft spot for the girl.

'Troublesome women….makes you jealous ending up in a wreck…..' Shikamaru thought.

"Sorry, I was just ….stressed out.' He said quietly as his gaze shifted to Tenten who was looking like a tomato now with the girls bombarding her with questions about her mysterious crush.

'Yeah, right. Stressed out huh?' the boys all thought, unconvinced.

"Do we know him?" Neji heard his timid cousin ask Tenten.

Tenten's face darkened considerably as she nodded meekly.

Hearing this, Ino squeled excitedly.

Neji's face darkened more.

"So, who is it? Come on Tenten-chan don't be shy, it's just us here." Ino said encouragingly.

The four shinobies smirked inwardly.

'If only they knew….' They all thought.

"Yeah, we won't tell others. Promise!" Sakura said, exchanging secret glances with Ino who smirked at her.

The three girls all looked expectantly at Tenten, their picnic lay beside them forgotten.

"Well, it's .." Tenten started as the three girls leaned on Tenten, excited to know who Tenten's crush was.

Neji' heart pounded hard on his chest as he found himself holding his breath as they waited for Tenten to reveal her secret crush.

'It's ……" she said awkwardly as the girls leaned again their faces almost touching Tenten's.

Neji gulped nervously.

He watched Tenten's lips parted as she said the dreaded answer.

"It's ……Neji." Tenten said in a barely audible whisper but Neji heard it perfectly nonetheless.

All the girls squealed and hugged Tenten congratulating her saying she'd chosen wisely while Tenten just smiled at them thankful for her friends support.

Neji's eyes were round as he tried to process at what had just happened.

"Woah! Neji, you're the man." Naruto said as he patted Neji hard on his back snapping the Hyuuga out of his thoughts.

Naruto was congratulating him also Shikamaru and Sasuke was simply smirking.

Neji would have laughed out loud at his mistake if he has no intention of keeping his reputation intact.

HE was the one, whom Tenten referred to as handsome.

HE was the one, whom Tenten had said strong,

HE was the one, whom Tenten believed to be intelligent.

HE was the one SHE adored.

As his gaze wandered over the chestnut-haired girl again, who was smiling happily talking to her friends; he thought life could never have been better.

It brought a warm feeling in his heart, cloaking him in warmth.

A/N: Hey, guys! Thanks for reading and reviewing in my first chapter. You can't imagine how glad I am for your support! Anyway, this is my second fanfic. My first was actually "Realizations" under the penname Hyuuga bratz. I have co-written this one with a fellow fanfic writer and my friend. Hope you'll read it too!

So, anyway the usual okay? Please READ and REVIEW for your comments especially your suggestions! Arigatou!

Ja ne


	3. Ino's Change of Heart

Chapter 3: Ino's Change of Heart

Disclaimer: We DO NOT own Naruto! Right Akamaru? Arf! Arf!

The afternoon sun shone high above the white puffy clouds hovering above Konoha. It was a particularly hot day so the girls decided to take a dip in the lake again, leaving their half-eaten sandwiches lying on their tatami mat.

As they played around, splashing water with each other, (still teasing Tenten about Neji who was laughing all the time while blushing madly) their conversation somehow drifted to Ino and Shikamaru whom she kept mentioning to them.

"---and then he always calls me 'troublesome woman'! I mean can you imagine it? Also, he always watches those stupid clouds and never pays attention to his team even to me! Arrrghh! I do not know what to do with him. People like him do not deserve to live. I ---"she ranted on and on until they couldn't understand her.

They all sweat dropped.

Meanwhile, back in the boy's hiding out; Naruto was getting irritated at Ino's ranting.

"Man, how can you stand her and her blabbering mouth?" he said as he covered his ears in vain because he can still hear her.

"You might ask that very same question to us dobe and as for the answer, we _can't_ stand your annoying filthy, blabbering mouth" Sasuke said monotonously.

"Why, you cold-hearted bastard! Who cares about your opinion anyway?" Naruto replied furiously as he glared at the raven-haired teammate.

"It's not _my _opinion; it's the whole village's opinion. Dead-last." He said at the fuming blonde.

"Egoistical, human ice-cube!"

"Filthy, annoying, loudmouthed, idiotic-moron."

"Cold-hearted bastard!"

"Dead-last!"

'Ah, it's too troublesome to see them fight, again because I'm obliged to stop them. ' Shikamaru thought as he finally spoke to them.

"Okay, guys that's enough. We don't want to be caught now do we?" Shikamaru said as he tried to soothe the tension rising between them.

"You know bastard with all your 'I'm so cool and uncaring guy' attitude, Sakura's starting to change her mind about you. I mean, I don't blame her. You're not the only man alive on earth especially in Konoha, where her fan boys are willing to bet their life just so as she can be their girl." Naruto said with a huff knowing that he had hit a sensitive spot (aka) his weakness.

Sasuke just had his head lowered, his raven bangs covering his eyes as he clenched his fists almost turning white.

'Suits him right, that bastard! Took him long enough to realize his own feelings for Sakura-chan. Someday they'll be thanking me. Oh, I'm such a good best friend to both of them that it brings me to tears. Kakashi-sensei would be so proud he'd treat me to ramen.' Naruto thought, his cerulean eyes sparkling as he imagined himself eating a thousand ramen courtesy of Kakashi and Sasuke thanking him repeatedly apparently unaware of the deadly aura a certain raven-haired is emitting.

Neji, sensing the dark aura was snapped into reality as he shifted his gaze from Tenten to his rival only to be met with a vermillion pair of eyes.

Swirling commas was found in his eyes as he glared intensely at the cowering Naruto who had just noticed his teammates' aura.

"Shut up dobe. You don't know what you are talking about….." he said his eyes pure of murder intent as he gritted his teeth.

"Uchiha, calm down. You don't have to believe everything the idiot says." Neji said calmly as he saw Sasuke's eyes on him slowly turning to its original onyx hue.

"Hn." He replied seemingly calm on the outside but internally cursing every single thing about Naruto. He made a mental note to beat up Naruto _real hard_ later.

'Stupid Naruto. He knew that Sasuke had a certain weakness for that girl and yet he teased him about it. Although his eyes returned to normal I could still see that will to actually murder Naruto. Don't worry Naruto, I'll always bring flowers and give respect to your grave.' Shikamaru thought.

As Kakashi steeped into a certain area where he was supposed to meet the four chuunins, he wondered if they were getting back on him for being late on their previous meetings seeing that they weren't here yet.

He scratched the back of his head as he looked around.

'Perhaps, they're hiding here somewhere…'

Although all he saw was big tees, the biggest was an old cherry blossom one, birds chirping and flying around.

'Okay….maybe not.' He thought as he didn't sense the four chuunins around.

'Now, where could they be?' he thought as he thought Naruto would probably be eating at Ichiraku while Shikamaru would be watching the sky somewhere in the forest, though as much as he think, he couldn't comprehend on where Sasuke and Neji would be. He knows Neji follows the orders given to him – whether he liked them or not – and Sasuke too.

Giving up, he hopped to a tree branch as he reached for his beloved book to read.

He decided he would just add some _spice_ on their training when they arrive for being late.

"Ah, they'll come sooner or later; the best thing to do now is to get some reading done." He said to himself as he settled down and read.

A perversely giggle can be heard ringing through the forest's trees.

'---and you know the other day he called me troublesome woman AGAIN then I got so mad that I beheaded all flowers in our shop and daddy was so angry especially mommy because it's bad for our business but WHO CAN YOU BLAME? Shikamaru of course! It's entirely HIS fault because if he had not called me an annoying troublesome woman this would not happen. Besides ---"Ino ranted, on and on until all of the girls are giving her weird looks which she didn't notice.

Meanwhile at the bushes, Shikamaru is trying to hold Naruto down who was so irritated he almost revealed their hiding place as he wanted to put a packaging tape on Ino's rambling mouth.

When he heard his part about the beheaded plants, he sighed heavily.

'I can't believe she sill blames me on that one.' He thought quite irritated.

He just concentrated on his task at hand, convincing Naruto to shut up.

Shikamaru, of course was the one obliged to stop him since Neji, apparently still dazed about what Tenten had said about him, his gaze never leaving her while Sasuke just sat there, eye brows furrowed, obviously in deep thought not to mention he was still angry about what Naruto had said earlier.

"Oy, Naruto. Stop it already. We're going to be good as dead if you reveal our hiding place to us. They'll think we're perverts spying on them." Shikamaru tried to convince Naruto who was still struggling against his grasp.

In all the struggling and more convincing, Naruto accidentally stepped on a twig, causing the small but noticeable snap in their direction.

The girls stopped talking or rather stopped listening to Ino's ramblings. Ino stopped as well as she turned her head in the bushes.

Neji was snapped out of his daydream as Sasuke was with his deep thinking.

"No matter what happens, don't move." Shikamaru mouthed to them.

"What was that?" Sakura asked as she eyed the certain part of the bushes where the boys were hiding.

The boys' back stiffened while Sasuke blushed.

'Why do I always have to blush when she looks at me? I mean she doesn't even looked at me, she doesn't know I'm here anyway.' he asked himself.

"It may be perverts…." Hinata said weakly.

Tenten instinctively reached for a kunai.

The other girls followed suit.

Shikamaru's face was trickling with cold sweat, one of those rare times you would see him so. Even in missions he was always as laid back as possible, being a genius as he was though probably except when his friends are in danger.

But now, how knew his mind won't be able to help him. No matter how many times he tried tot think of an escape plan, he fails miserably as a certain platinum gold haired woman appeared

'I always knew women are troublesome…' he thought.

"Ne, Hinata-chan, can you use your byakugan to see what's behind those bushes." Tenten asked the shy girl.

All the boys are now sweating madly as Naruto whispered to Shikamaru frantically, "You're the genius here, think of something."

"Damn, Hyuuga, you're girlfriend's real nice." Sasuke said sarcastically as the pearl-eyed genius glared at him.

"It wasn't her fault; it's this clumsy idiot's fault." Neji replied to him.

"Okay "Hinata agreed.

'Oh kami spare me from them! I still want to be the greatest Hokage!'

"Bya -- "

'Remind me to kill the dobe after this mess. It was his stupid idea after all!'

"ku –"

'And they call me genius? What a troublesome life I have.'

"—gan."

All of them watched nervously as spidery veins appeared around Hinata's eyes as she searched the entire surroundings with her byakugan activated.

What the three boys didn't know is that Neji has performed a series of hand seals as Hinata activated her byakugan.

"There's no one in there." Hinata said as she finished searching, the spidery veins slowly disappearing reveling her pearly white eyes.

The girls sighed in relief as they began talking again.

Meanwhile, all the boys' mouth are hanging open as they dropped on the forest floor while Neji wore triumphant smirk on his lips.

"How did we get past a byakugan is beyond me." Naruto said stunned.

'For once, I agree with the dobe." Sasuke agreed which made Naruto grin widely.

"Glad to have some sense plastered in you face bastard!" Naruto said happily.

"Hn. Don't flatter yourself too much."

"Me either, unless it was a jutsu or something though I've never heard of one before." Shikamaru stated.

"Of course it was a jutsu I had recently made. It was still experimental though so I kept it to myself at first." Neji said proudly.

"Not bad, Hyuuga." Sasuke said smirking.

"Woah! Neji that was so cool! You're my hero!" said Naruto jokingly as he batted his eyelashes at him ready to hug him.

Neji looked rather horrified by the act.

Suddenly, Naruto burst out laughing.

"You're face was priceless Neji." He said in between of laughter.

What was worst was Neji saw Sasuke smirking at him.

"Shut up you idiot. They'll hear us!" Neji spat at him angrily.

However, Naruto still laughed quietly that irritated the Hyuuga more.

"I think Ino-pig's in love." Sakura stated that made Ino froze.

This caught Shikamaru's full attention as he looked at Ino who was sanding nervously in front of Sakura.

"W-what a-re you talking about forehead-girl?" Ino sputtered nervously trying to be braver than she felt as she saw Sakura's lips curved into a smirk.

"Well it seems to me that the center of your attention isn't Sasuke anymore but a certain young man who always call you "troublesome woman" rather frequently." Sakura said, her smirk growing bigger.

At this, Sasuke was suddenly saddened as the words of Naruto earlier rang through his ears tormenting his mind.

_You know bastard with all your 'I'm so cool and uncaring guy' attitude, Sakura's starting to change her mind about you. I mean, I don't blame her. You're not the only man alive on earth especially in Konoha, where her fan boys are willing to bet their life just so as she can be their girl._

…_.Sasuke……_

'No more the affectionate –kun huh?' he thought as he tried to push the rejected feeling that engulfed his heart making it fell heavy.

"Wait, Sakura-chan, did I just hear you say Sasuke? Tenten asked shocked.

Sakura furrowed her pink eyebrows at her as she turned to her obviously confused.

"Yeah, why? What's wrong with that?" Sakura asked her friend.

"Well, I didn't know you actually gave up on Sasuke, I mean I've heard rumors from his fan girls of course though I didn't believe them at first." Tenten replied.

Sasuke's mood even darkened as he heard this.

"That's beside the point. We're talking about Ino-pg here." Sakura said with the let's-drop-the-topic-now tone. Tenten immediately got it and asked no more.

"Sasuke-kun is still the center of my affection forehead-girl." Ino said though Sakura looked unconvinced.

At this Shikamaru saddened.

'So, still the Uchiha huh? Wonder what the girls see in him. How troublesome…' Shikamaru thought.

"You're lying. It's written in your face Ino-pig." Sakura said as the blonde girl flushed.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Okay, guys you can stop now." Tenten said to the two girls currently glaring at each other.

"Whatever Ino-pig I still think you have got a big crush on Shikamaru." Sakura said with a "hmph".

"Speaking of Shikamaru, what were you doing with him the other day? I saw you two walking towards his house." Hinata asked Sakura.

"Well ---"Sakura tried to explain but Ino suddenly lunged at her while yelling as the other two girls gasped and tried to stop them.

Meanwhile Sasuke was holding Shikamaru by the collar of his shirt as his eyes turned blood red, glaring at him as his grip tightened on his shirt.

"H-hey, let me explain first. Hey!" Shikamaru said as he tried to shove Sasuke away.

"What were you doing with her?" Sasuke said his voice filled with mixed emotions though the _jealousy_ clearly stands out.

"We were just going to play board games like we used to." Shikamaru said while Sasuke looked at him narrowing his gaze, apparently not satisfied enough with his answer.

"What do you mean 'like we used to'?" he asked highly suspicious forming a strong sense of dislike towards the boy.

"Come off it Uchiha. You can't tie Sakura at her house now can you? You're not even her boyfriend so you have no right to pounce on every boy that has been with her. I even saw her practicing taijutsu with Lee and she even asked me to teach her on some ninjutsu. She has a life you know…and it doesn't revolve around you anymore" Neji said as he saw Sasuke turn his gaze on him letting go of Shikamaru.

Those words hit him hard as his world practically crumbled.

'_She has a life you know…and it doesn't revolve around you anymore…'_

"Why would she ask you?" he said glaring at the brown-haired lad as he tried to shove in a box whatever was he feeling at that moment. He decided he would deal with them later.

Neji smirked, "She has gotten around lately now that she's given up on you and had some true friends of her own who are sensitive to her feelings."

'_She has gotten around lately now that she's given up on you and had some true friends of her own who are sensitive to her feelings.'_

Suddenly, for the first time in his life, Sasuke felt left out.

It was quite strange to Sasuke especially since he doesn't mind being alone for how many years now, preferring to stay and train while others go out and have fun.

He didn't know that word 'fun' nor does it matter to him then.

"You also know that she can't ask you because, come on, you always reject her." Naruto piped up which made him more miserable.

'_...you always reject her.'_

'Perhaps I've been too locked up in the mansion to notice that everything's changed ….even her.' He thought as he looked at the girls who were still trying to pry Ino from the annoyed Sakura.

He still remembered the times that she and Naruto would barge in on his mansion and try to drag him out of it and he would push them out as he tried to push the dejected face yet again of Sakura whenever he drove them away.

He momentary wondered if it's still not too late to patch things up.

"Let go Ino-pig! We were just going to play some board games. You know that!" She said, annoyed.

Ino suddenly stopped struggling against Tenten's grasp as she finally let her go

"Sorry." Ino weakly muttered.

"Anyway, I thought you don't like him!" Sakura said finally composing herself as she interrogated Ino once more.

"Well, I --- Uhrmm ---- you see ----"she stuttered as if finding the right words to say.

The three girls just stood there waiting patiently for Ino to spill out what she really wanted to say.

"Well…" Tenten said encouraging Ino to continue.

"I-I like Shikamaru." Ino whispered into thin air.

"What? We didn't hear you1" Sakura said as she tried to make out the words that barely escaped Ino's pink lips.

Ino tried to squeak it out again but in vain.

"Huh?" Tenten said as she asked for her to repeat it again.

Ino was stating to get furious now as she repeated it now, quite loud.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that." Hinata remarked shyly as she beckoned for Ino to repeat it again.

A big, fat vein appeared on her forehead as she repeated it again.

"HUH?" They all said, confusion written on their faces.

Ino finally snapped as she shouted all her might.

"I LIKE SHIKAMARU GOD DAMMIT!" her face all red from embarrassment or from shouting, they couldn't tell.

Even Shikamaru couldn't believe it. Perhaps his ears were deceiving him? Or it was just an Ino clone standing there, apparently confessing her love to him in front of her girlfriends?

"Wow. Do you think she's gone crazy?" Naruto asked which Shikamaru chose not to answer as he watched Ino stood there red faced.

As Sakura opened her mouth to say something, Ino went like "AND DON"T YOU DARE TELL ME TO REPEAT IT AGAIN! I AM SO SICK OF YOU THREE ASKING ME TO REPEAT IT ALL THE TIME!"

"Sorry but we just want to confirm if we heard it right. After all you just denied a while ago about this one, so it's pretty hard to believe you're not into Sasuke anymore" Sakura said sensibly before Ino could stop her.

"Wow. It is Ino!" Shikamaru muttered under his breath.

"What?" Naruto asked him as he shook his head at him.

"Well, I know it is sudden but I've given up on Sasuke a long time ago, I just wanted to tease forehead-girl about it." She confessed to them as they all fell anime-style.

"What a very sensible reason!" Sakura said as they recovered from their _fall_.

"Well, that's nice to hear Ino-chan." Hinata said softly as Ino returned it with a sincere smile.

"Thanks guys!" she said as she lunged at them for a group hug and whispered something the boys couldn't make out.

"Ch. Girls" Neji muttered.

"Yeah, they always manage to talk so soft that even our trained ears can't hear. How do they do that?" Naruto wondered as he put a finger on his chin actually thinking.

"Cheesy." Sasuke muttered.

Though as Neji and Sasuke watched the girls muttering to them selves and Naruto wondered about how girls always manages to speak so soft, something in what Ino said to the girls made Shikamaru smirk.

Although he didn't heat what she said he could make it out as her lips move.

And it said "I love the way when he says I'm troublesome."

A/N: Kyaa! Sorry if I didn't update so soon! Got some problems in our computer which was my fault so I was kinda grounded anyway thanks for the reviews especially for those who had suggestions. They really helped me a lot. So, keep 'em coming. Also I did some changes here and there in the previos chappie! ARIGATOU!  
Ahhh I almost forgot, READ AND SUGGEST/COMMENT on the review of course!


	4. Hinata's First and Last Love

Chapter 4: Hinata's first and last love.

A/N: Hiya guys! Thanks for all the suggestions and comments you gave me on your reviews. I really appreciate them! Sorry if I am not a very responsive author in a way, well that's because I find it too troublesome to answer your messages individually so instead I answer them here. Brilliant ne?

Disclaimer: Whatever!

The beams of the blazing sun continued penetrate through the thick branches of the forest trees as the four chuunins sweat heavily from head to toe not to mention the flushed faces.

Though they might deny the rather obvious reason of their behavior, the fact that their eyes were glued to certain someone gave it away.

The girls were playing and splashing in the water again after the unexpected confession of Ino who has stopped ranting now, of course.

"Man, the girls really have GREAT body!" Naruto exclaimed.

The other three snorted.

"No wonder that the perverted sennin watched them when they were in the hot spring." Naruto said.

His companions focused their attention on him as dangerous dark aura started to emit from them. Of course, the ever so clueless fox boy didn't notice yet as he continued his little story at them.

A certain perverted white-haired sannin days' are about to be over.

"But of course, he got busted and he was sent to the hospital afterwards. And that's because of ME! I warned the girls earlier so they were able to prepare." Naruto stated proudly at them.

The all raised their eyebrows at him.

"What?" he asked quite irritated at the weird staring he was getting from his male friends.

"Are you all gay?" he asked again, this time gasping.

They merely snorted and glared at him at the same time. How ironic.

"You're starting to scare us Naruto. You learned too much from that perverted dirt bag." Shikamaru said disgustingly.

"Dobe." Sasuke said disgustingly.

"Shut up teme! Of course I'm not a perverted like that old man." Naruto said.

They all grew silent as they watched the girls came out of the water again.

"Let's play truth or dare guys!" stated Ino happily as she searched for a decent empty bottle they can use. After several minutes of searching through the things they brought with them, she finally pulled an empty mineral water bottle.

Meanwhile Naruto can't just stop the waterfalls coming from his mouth. Neji however wasn't amused by this and so with the two boys, who shifted away from Naruto, disgusted.

"Stop drooling over my cousin Naruto!" Neji hissed angrily careful not to be heard by the girls who were getting ready to play.

"Yeah, that's cool Neji, as if I didn't saw you drooling over Tenten a wile ago." Naruto said in which Neji countered with a glare.

"Shut up you freaking moron." He said while blushing profusely.

"Shh. They're starting!" Shikamaru said.

"Okay! Who's going to be first? Any volunteer?" Ino asked cheerfully as she looked around for any willing girl to be first. Hinata had her head bowed down; Tenten was determinedly looking past her while Sakura just looked away.

"You guys are a bunch of party poopers!" exclaimed Ino.

"Well if you're so excited about this why don't you go first huh?" Sakura challenged her with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah. It was your idea anyway." Tenten agreed.

"So, what do you think Hinata-chan?" Ino asked the timid girl as she turned to her.

Hinata looked up as she said softly "I agree with them Ino-chan."

"Hmp. Whatever." She replied as she spun the bottle.

The bottle spun rapidly as the girls watched it anxiously as it gradually became slower and slower until it stopped in front of …….

Kakashi shut his book as he looked at his surroundings.

It was late afternoon now, around three o'clock as the sun continued to hover above Konoha with its graceful rays shining ever so brightly in the blue sky.

And still…no sign of the four chuunins he was suppose to meet.

He decided that adding some spice in their training later wouldn't suffice (that is, if they come) and he thought five hundred laps around Konoha along with one hundred thousand push ups would do the trick.

He wondered momentarily again, if they have been getting back on him for being late, countless times before.

'Nah. What am I thinking? Only Naruto would get that stupid idea and besides, there is no way he'll be able to convince the other three to join him.'

Dismissing the idea, he then opened his book again and began to read.

…….Sakura! Ino looked triumphant.

"Ha! Fore-head girl!" she said as her eyes gleamed with mischief

"Okay. Truth or dare!" Ino asked the pink-haired girl; as her mind started thinking of ideas for dare.

"I choose …. Truth." Sakura replied calmly as Ino fell, anime-style.

"Fine be that way." Ino said as she pouted. She really would love it if Sakura has chosen dare.

Sakura just raised her pink eye brow at her.

"Okay. What should we ask her?" Tenten whispered as they hunched far from Sakura who was just staring ahead.

"I don't have an idea." Hinata replied.

"How about if we ask her if she got over Sasuke? Huh? What do you think?" Ino suggested.

"I don't think that's such a good idea! I bet she'll just lie to us." Tenten whispered back.

"You're probably right." Hinata said.

"Well, what then?" Ino asked, getting impatient.

"I have an idea trust me!" Tenten suddenly spoke eagerly as her brown eyes began to glow with mischief

Meanwhile Sakura just stared ahead, not really caring what they're question would be.

Suddenly, she felt as if someone's watching her, so she had a look around as her gaze finally landed on a certain bush.

The boys' back stiffened as they thought they have been caught but sighed in relief again as Sakura turned her head away from them as the three girls sat beside her again.

"Well, we decided to ask you about the rumors about you going out with Lee. Is it really true?" Tenten asked the girl with curios eyes.

Sakura just shrugged.

"Well ---"Ino prompted her as Hinata and Tenten continued to stare at her with smoldering gaze.

"What is it with you guys?" Sakura asked warily, getting tired of the entire gaze she's been receiving.

At the boy's place, Sasuke looked deeply surprised by her reaction.

'Does a shrug means yes?' he thought jealousy firing up his usually emotionless, coal black eyes as his inner emerged once more.

'What! How could she go out with fuzzy brows! We're definitely more handsome than him and a lot stronger too! I'm going to rip him out and tear him into pieces so fast he wouldn't be able to say sorry. Sakura is ours!' His inner said while laughing absurdly thinking of ways to torture a certain bowl-headed-thick-brows-who's-infatuated-with-HIS-Sakura boy.

He was too caught up with his jealousy that he didn't notice the odd looks his companions are giving him while shifting a little bit farther from him. They certainly did not want to face the wrath of an overly jealous Uchiha. Who knows what can he do?

They just silently prayed for the soul of Lee.

After a few moments of silence Ino spoke up.

"Well, a shrug isn't an answer, or was it?" Ino asked impatiently.

Sakura just raised an eye brow at her. "I thought you know me Ino? Lee-san and I are just friends. Yes, we train together sometimes, because I want to improve my taijutsu skills but that's just about it." She said at Ino.

"Well, do you have a special someone now?" Tenten asked trying and failing for her voice to be as innocent as possible.

'Ha! Plan make-Sakura-tell-the-truth-about-her-feelings-for-Sasuke in motion.' Ino thought wickedly as a smug smirk began curling up in her lips, which didn't go unnoticed by Sakura.

'Weird..' Sakura thought seeing the wicked smirk in Ino's smug face. 'Oops, wrong word, what I meant was scary.'

"No." Sakura said, looking away.

"No? Are you sure about that?" Tenten asked slyly.

"What I meant was 'No, I am not going to answer your question.'" Sakura said with made Ino fume.

"Well, sad to say but that's cheating! Haven't you played Truth or Dare before or you just forgot the rules in game, Sakura-chan." Ino said sickeningly sweet.

"Well, according to the rules, Ino-pig-chan, "much to Ino's dislike" that you can only as me one question. Am I right?" Sakura said calmly.

In the bushes, the boys, are stunned.

"Man, that's just Truth and Dare and look at them go! They're ready to kill each other!" Naruto said.

"That's why I never join that game. I knew it was a troublesome one." Shikamaru replied as he stifled a yawn.

"Screw the rules! Just answer our question!" Ino said getting REALLY impatient as her face grew hotter by the second.

"Jeez, know that look. How troublesome!" Shikamaru muttered, silently praying that he won't be seeing blood today.

"Well I'm afraid I can't Ino-chan!" Sakura said quite innocently which added to the irritation of Ino. Tenten and Hinata just watched in the corner, silently rooting for Ino but secretly applauding Sakura's intelligence.

They also wondered who's going to win. The match was getting quite exciting, really.

"Well, as far as I can remember, you said earlier that not following the rules is cheating and I definitely don't want to cheat. Then now you're saying that I should screw the rules? Why Ino, I guess Shika was right after all, you are an indecisive, troublesome woman!" Sakura said to the furious Ino who had moved past to hatred but now in a loathing, murderous state.

"_Well, sad to say but that's cheating! Haven't you played Truth or Dare before or you just forgot the rules in game, Sakura-chan." Ino said sickeningly sweet._

Tenten and Hinata knew what was coming next as they jumped, just in time to prevent Ino from pulling Sakura's unique colored tresses.

"Why you big-foreheaded-girl! Come here and let me teach you a thing or two!" Ino screeched at the top of her lungs as the birds passing by flew away almost instantly, hearing the harsh sound.

Sakura just rolled her eyes at her which angered Ino more as she struggled harder against Tenten's and Hinata's grips which forced Hinata to use her byakugan and disable her arms as well as her legs for a few minutes to calm her down.

"I'm so sorry Ino-chan that I have to do that, but we have no choice!" Hinata apologized repeatedly.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru was impressed at what Hinata did wishing he could do that sometimes so that he wouldn't get beat up.

After a while, Ino was finally calmed down though she was still throwing murderous glances toward the pink-haired girl which she purposely avoided.

"Okay, since I already confessed about, umm you- know-who," Tenten said while blushing in which Neji smirked.

"Yeah, and I already did with Shika-kun!" Ino continued for Tenten who was fumbling with her fingers, apparently still a bit embarrassed of her revelation.

In the meantime, Shikamaru said lazily, "Since when did I became Shika-kun?" in which Naruto snickered at while Neji smirked.

"Gosh, Shika-kun! What a nice name. ! How swwwweeeeettttttt" Naruto said in a high pitched girlish voice.

"Yamero, Naruto! It's too troublesome." Shikamaru said to the laughing blonde boy.

"So, Hinata-chan, care to share?" Tenten said, finally composing herself.

"Yeah, since others don't want to!" at this, Ino sent a death glare towards Sakura who just stared back innocently, her green orbs wide as if asking, 'What?'". She hates it when she can do that!

"M-me? I-I d-don't t-think y-y-ou g-guys w-would l-like t-t-to k-know." Hinata stuttered as the ground suddenly becomes interesting to her as she was staring at it.

Hinata is nervously fumbling with her finger, a habit she had since she was a kid whenever she's nervous.

Hinata was a shy girl even in her childhood days up to now. She just stutters badly whenever Naruto was around so she never got around in confessing her love for him which was way back in the academy days. Especially when she learned his crush on Sakura but the pink-haired girl assured her that it has now evaporated and he treats her as a sister now.

"Oh, Hinata-chan! Come on, there's nobody who can hear us here! We promise we'll bring your secret along with our grave when we die!" Ino said sincerely as she put her hand on her chest for support on her statement a while ago.

"Yeah, he probably likes you too you know." Sakura said meaningfully.

"She's right. He's just too naïve for his own good." Tenten consoled the Hyuuga heiress.

"Umm---well---I-I," Hinata stuttered as all their eyes focused solely at her. She was completely caught off guard by the question.

Meanwhile at the bushes, Naruto couldn't believe his ears.

"Hinata-chan has a crush?" he muttered softly, almost to himself though the boy's still heard it which made them sigh heavily.

"Haven't you notice?" Neji asked, irritated at the blonde boy's reaction.

"No." he replied his wide blue eyes turning on him.

"Do you know who is it?" Naruto asked, genuinely curious. All of them sweat dropped.

"Dobe. You're a hopeless case." Sasuke stated at the now furious blonde boy.

"Why you TEME! Do you know who it is then?" he spat angrily at him ready to wipe the smug smirk he had in his face.

"Stop shouting Naruto! It too troublesome, especially for my ear!" Shikamaru protested.

"Besides your saliva's all over us." He continued disgustingly.

"How disgusting can you STILL be Naruto!" Neji said, revolted though the blonde boy's attention was a hundred percent on his best friend slash rival.

"Dobe. The whole freaking village knows! You're just the sole one, who happens to be the town's dumbest, loudest idiotic moron, who never has a clue in everything that doesn't know!" Sasuke said calmly.

"HMP! As if you know who it is! You don't know wh—"he was cut off his little speech as he heard what the weapon mistress had said.

"Is it Naruto?" Tenten asked as Ino's jaw dropped to the ground.

…So as Naruto's.

Hinata's eye's widened as her face grew red as a tomato.

"Well ---"Tenten asked trying to pry the answer from her.

The shy Hyuuga heiress just bowed her head down again to hide her full blown blushed face as she asked the girl with two buns up on each side of her head.

"How did you know?" she asked quietly. Was she that obvious?

During her childhood years, her father had been hard on her especially on training since she was supposed to uphold the family honor as the faithful day would come when she will be the leader of their powerful clan.

Her sister, Hanabi would always be praised by Hiashi for she always beat her in their sparring and will turn to her only to lecture her for not being strong enough to beat her little sister.

During those times she felt a tad lonely, all alone in the world she saw Naruto, training hard all by himself so as he can prove his worth to other people. She realized then that they had the same case, often judged by the people around them. The only difference that she spotted was the strong surge of determination, seen easily on his cerulean eyes.

From then on, she had always watched him from afar, too shy to speak to him or be even near to him. She just watched as the villagers mocked him and avoided him like he was some sort of a contagious disease. She pitied him yet respected him at the same time as she saw how these happenings only strengthen his resolve to become stronger.

He always said he would be the greatest hokage someday though most of the people he meets refused to believe him; she was always there, hiding beneath the shadows silently believing for him for those who can't.

"Eh?" Tenten said.

"Hinata-chan has a crush on me!" Naruto said as he almost jumped for joy though Shikamaru prevented him from doing so.

"Stand still Naruto! Or else they'll see us!" Shikamaru said, holding him down.

"Oh, Hinata-chan, it's okay! I think he likes you." Sakura said as she got up from her position and sat beside Hinata.

"You think so?" she regarded the pink-haired girl slightly.

"Oh, what am I saying? I don't think so! I know so!" Sakura said smiling at her friend as she gave her a friendly hug.

"I'm sure."

At this Hinata smiled, truthfully happy in years.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the forest, Kakashi was getting a little too impatient of waiting since he already finished reading his Icha Icha Paradise latest issue, cover to cover.

'Those brats! I don't have time to wait for hem all day!' he thought furiously as he suddenly got an idea.

He did some hand seals and a soft poof was heard with a small dog with a slightly scrunched up face emerged looking slightly annoyed.

"Are you going to feed me now, Kakashi?" Pakkun asked with an interested tone mixed in his voice.

"No. Find Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru and Neji. Once you have found them, tell them to meet me at Ichiraku ramen Bar." He said as he disappeared in a poof.

"Great! Just great! Now I have to find those brats!" Pakkun said as he too disappeared in a flash.

"Hinata, tell you what, we'll help Naruto realize you like him okay?" Ino said as she went over to where they sat and hugged her too.

"Thanks." She said softly.

"Hey, what are friends for." Tenten said as they had a group hug again.

Just then, a sudden movement was heard to the left of the girls which made their ninja senses alert as they reached for their kunai, already in a fighting stance.

A certain part of bush continued to shake as the four girls waited anxiously and momentarily wondering what was the thing inside the bush.

Then, as if reading each other's thoughts, they all muttered softly under their breaths.

"Perverts…."

Meanwhile, at the boy's hiding place where four of the best chuunins in Konoha, trained by different sensei's with outstanding skills are currently hiding ….

…..Uchiha, Sasuke, Sharingan wielder, sole survivor and heir to the prestigious Uchiha clan, trained all his life to defeat his bastard of a brother, a born genius, known for his chidori learned from Kakashi and famous death glare TM

…..Uzumaki, Naruto, Kyuubi vessel, a loud mouthed moron though determination is quite high, rival slash best friend of Sasuke known for his rasengan learned from Jiraiya and his obsession in Ichiraku ramen

…..Nara, Shikamaru, and more than 200 IQ, strategic and plans are his domains in missions, notorious for slacking of and trying to watch the clouds all day, known for his 'toublesome' views in life

…..Hyuuga, Neji, Hyuuga prodigy, born genius, can see past through anything with his byakugan, practically excels in everything, known for his smoldering gaze of his silvery white eyes.

………..all are shaking all over, sweating badly as the four kunoichi's walked closer to them.

"What are we going to do?" Neji said as he wiped a sweat from trickling down his smooth face.

"I-I don't know!" Naruto replied.

"Idiot! Why did you have to get all so excited anyway! You always get us into trouble!" Sasuke spat angrily at him.

"Shut up teme! You're just jealous because you know you already lost your chance in Sakura-chan!" He said as he stuck out his tongue.

"You –you shut up you freaking moron! What would you know anyway?" Sasuke said murderously his eyes turning blood red again.

"You guys, stop it already! The troublesome girls are closing in on us." He said as he was met by glaring faces.

"Don't call them troublesome you idiot!" they all said angrily as they started bickering again.

Shikamaru don't know, what's worse, Ino or them.

'How troublesome…' he thought sourly as he heard the girls talking quietly, as if devising a plan on how to know what was ion the bush.

And what else were there, three of the best chuunins, all acting like idiots bickering with each other.

He just started to pray to Kami-sama for forgiveness of his sins. He knows they're in for a brutal death, they just do not realize it now.

He cringed at the thought. He always wanted a peaceful death but now he knows he can't have it.

'What a troublesome life I have….'

Everything was a blur as a small, almost unnoticeable object swept past from trees leaving a trail of dust behind.

Pakkun was currently hopping from tree to tree as he suddenly halted, picking up the four brats' smell and amazingly he picked up different smells too.

"Mmm….smells like somebody's having a picnic, and I bet my life, they're girls." He thought as he ran towards the direction of the smell.

'I finally found those brats! Kakashi, you owe me one!'

As the girls stepped in closer to the moving bush, they heard faint noises which they couldn't quite recognize so they halted in their careful steps and backed out to plan for awhile.

You never know what's out there.

Shikamaru didn't know if he was to be afraid or relieved to see them backing away from them.

He was answered instantly.

'They were planning. This is just troublesome! Who knows what they will do!' he thought as his eyes widen considerably.

'This is the most troublesome moment in my life, or maybe the last.' He thought with a nervous gulp, waiting for their end.

A/N: Sigh, finally it's done. I made this chapter in a rush so sorry for the grammatical errors and everything! Promise I'll do better in the next chapter, after all save the best for the last ne! GOMEN again for not updating soon, we had tests coming up so I wasn't able to go near a computer last week! Wish me luck in my exams, especially in MATH! Also I am doing another fanfic simultaneously so watch out for it though; I think I may not be able to post it until next week but I'll try my best!

Thanks for the reviews; they're my source of hope so keep 'em coming!


	5. Sakura's Lost Hope

Chapter 5: Sakura's Lost Hope

A/N: Yo!

Just want to thank my reviewers a million times for reviewing and a million times more for patiently waiting for my update! It has been a tough week for me so please bear with me.

ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!

Kohana28

Disclaimer: Duh! What more can I say?

Lub

Dub

Lub

Dub

_This is not good._

Lub

Dub

_Hn. If it wasn't for that moronic idiot, we wouldn't even be here in the first place!_

Lub

Dub

_They're closing in._

Lub

Dub

How troublesome!

Lub

Dub

You could practically hear the thoughts and pounding hearts of the fours chuunins as they tried to think of a plan to get them out of this mess.

Still shaking, Shikamaru silently prayed to Kami-sama for the forgiveness of his sins. It may be his last after all.

"Okay, so what will we exactly do?" Ino whispered as she kept her eyes glued on the bush.

"I don't know. Why are we so afraid of it anyway! We're kunoichis, no wait let me rephrase that, we're STRONG kunoichis! We train hard everyday, go through tough and dangerous A-ranked missions just to be afraid of what might be inside those pathetic bushes! I'll tell you what we are then, pathetic like what's in that stupid plant!" Sakura said as she tried to encourage her friends, shoving aside the little fear she had.

The three just looked at her like she was some kind of an alien.

"What?"

The three chuunins had abandoned their bickering a while ago as they tried to catch every word being spoken by Sakura to the group who were hunched together on a corner, planning.

"Move aside Naruto, I can't hear them clearly."

"**You** should move aside!"

"Idiots! Stop bickering, they'll hear us."

"Hn. And we'll not hear them."

"Don't try to be so smart teme."

"I am not. You're just a dobe that's all."

"Shut up!"

"How troublesome. Give me some space will you?"

"Shhhh. I think I hear Sakura speaking."

It was only then that Sasuke focused his sole attention on the girls' conversation, but as soon as he heard the words flowed out of her mouth, he was amazed.

He always have considered her as a weak, an annoying leech, a burden to their team that he HAD to protect but now, it he didn't feel that way. Instead, it felt like an instinct to him now, something that he really wants to do.

_Damn her and her weakness, it just makes me try my hardest just to be able to protect her._

""Wow, where did you get that?" Tenten asked amazed. It was like watching a very feminist woman making her speech on a national television. It was rather amusing though.

"Nani?"

"Well, blame Sasuke for that one." Ino said in a playful manner.

"Why?" the girls all chorused, curiosity evident on their expectant faces and glinting eyes.

"That's what you get from receiving insults from that ice block, twenty-four hours a day." She said.

Realizing, she had just made a joke, they all laughed, except Sakura who was able to manage to plaster a small smile on her face, though her eyes betrayed her.

Sasuke saw what happened. All of them replayed repeatedly in his mind.

Sakura….

The sadness in her eyes….

The pain spreading through her elegant green eyes….

All of it, he saw vividly, as if it were a movie, and not a good one, he may add.

'_I still cause her pain. I'm still the reason behind her empty smiles. I'm still the one her heart is grieving for, and denying it just made it worse.'_

Sasuke seemed to be frozen in place as his usual sharp eyes didn't notice the pitying looks his comrades are giving him.

'_Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Uchiha better watch it, or he'll lose something valuable forever._

'_Hmph. That teme. It's not like I can blame Sakura-chan too. She waited for him for years and what happened. He's the same ice cold jerk he's been since we were in the academy.'_

'_How troublesome. It almost as if you're watching a drama/romantic movie. And I hated them, the fact that Ino forces me to watch them proves my point well.'_

Or maybe because he could practically hear his heart breaking at the sight.

Still laughing gaily, Ino glanced over Sakura, expecting her to laugh along, though what she saw made her laugh cut short.

It was her eyes, which bore extreme pain and sadness all swirling with other emotions she couldn't quite comprehend exactly, though she did know who the cause of this was.

Tenten and Hinata, noticing Ino's sudden halt in her laughter, turned to look at her confusedly.

Ino motioned her hand towards Sakura who was looking in a far distance now. Tenten and Hinata instantly understood.

Waiting is such a hard work that requires a lot of patience in a person along with the unsure assurance of getting what you really wished for, but Sakura got through all those obstacles and remained faithful as ever to Sasuke, no matter what.

Although the girls know that their friend won't easily give up and they admire her for patience and all but they are also worried that Sakura will just be broken hearted at the end, her patience and love wasted along with her shattered heart.

"Sakura……" Ino started but then, Sakura cut her off.

Sakura heaved a huge sigh as her shoulders drooped a little. "I know, I shouldn't be thinking about him. But, I can't help it Ino. I really love him." she said her eyes bearing pain and sadness once more as her eyes strayed far away.

Meanwhile, Sasuke's jaw was on the ground as he heard what Sakura said about him, his head felt a tad light as his mind was in a daze.

'_She loves me…'_

'_**Of course she loves you! You idiot and in case you haven't noticed she waited for you all these years! And what did you do? You sneered at her, insult her and worse you ignore her as if she doesn't exist!'**_

"_What the……who the heck are you?'_

'_**Me? Well, duh. I'm your inner self of course.'**_

'_What? Since when did I have an inner self!'_

'**_Wait let me think……since forever for god's sake! You're always shoving me in a box whenever I invade your mind and try to influence your actions!'_**

'_Well, if I always shove you in a box, what the hell are you doing making my head ache right now! Shouldn't you be shoved in a box where you belong?'_

'_**Now, there's a good thought. Why oh why am I not in the box, hmmmm?'**_

'_Shouldn't you be answering my question **NOW**?'_

'**_To tell you the truth I really don't know. Maybe you're finally listening to me instead of your male ego which you seem to always use?'_**

'…_..'_

'_**Or maybe your heart chose to listen to me this time….'**_

'……'

'_**Well, all I know is it's not for you to know, it for you to find out!'**_

'Huh?' His inner left him all of a sudden to let him ponder on his thoughts.

And apparently too busy thinking to notice the amused looks of his companions.

"He really is in love with her." Neji said as he nodded knowingly.

"Yeah. Just look at that dazed expression the three of us got a while ago." Naruto said awed.

"You mean the **two of you** got a while ago." Neji said flatly as he looked at Naruto sternly.

"Oh, come on Neji. You had the exact same look a while ago. And………bet you anything, you had some drool flowing at the side of your mouth." Naruto said slyly as his face reddened and water came out of his cerulean eyes as he tried to suppress the laughter eager to be heard through the forest which would surely bail them out of their hiding place.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru said as he yawned quietly.

"Whatever." Neji muttered under his breath as he tried to control the blood rushing to his pale cheeks. He looked sideways to hide his blush though it has gotten worse instead because there he saw Tenten, with her brown orbs looking all sad and gloomy, quite opposite to her usual behavior.

'_Shit.'_ He was so screwed.

'_How could I prove Naruto wrong if I react like this every time I look at her?' _

'_Double shit then.'_

Ino sighed. Ever since they were little, they had fought hard to get the attention of the Uchiha prodigy and it was also the reason their friendship broke so suddenly. But now that she had gone past her childhood infatuation for the raven haired boy and had moved on, she wishes her ex - best friend – best friend - again to be able to move on.

'Perhaps this is the best time.' She thought.

"Sakura…." The said girl turned her attention to her.

"I know how much you love him. We all do." Tenten and Hinata merely nodded at her

"Thanks…..I guess." She said in her barely audible voice

Ino hesitated but then decided to continue prodding her.

"The thing is, you can't wait forever for him. You don't have to." Ino said gently to her friend trying to make her get the point she is saying. She placed a comforting hand on her friends shoulder and patted her back gently, trying to ease her pain even a little.

The pink haired girl shifted her eyes from the spot she was concentrating on a while ago and turned to look at her as if she were crazy.

Ino made silent gestures of help to the two girls and Hinata instantly got it.

"Anou, Sakura-chan. I think Ino-chan's right. It is not fair for your part to wait forever especially if were not sure of his feelings for you. "Hinata said, as she carefully regarded the emerald eyed girl who had her head bowed down with her pink hair all over her face so you couldn't see clearly her expression.

Hinata nudged Tenten in her ribs to get her attention and mouthed "Back us up." to her.

The brown haired girl said a little "oh" as she rubbed her ribs gently.

"S-she's right Saku-chan. Besides Sasuke's not the only hot guy alive here you know! There are loads out there, and what's more they are waiting for you." Tenten said playfully as she grinned at her.

Silence lingered once more as Ino and Tenten exchanged nervous glances with each other while Hinata fumbled with her fingers.

"But then, Hinata-chan, you waited for Naruto am I right?" Sakura suddenly stated breaking the silence that reigned over the place a while ago.

Hinata's back stiffened as she realized their mistake.

'Uh-oh.'

'Why does Sakura-chan have to be so smart?'

"W-w-we-ll…." Hinata stuttered trying to look for the right words to say.

Ino beat her to it saying, "Hinata's case was different compared to yours. Even though Naruto is dumb, errr I mean a bit clueless, he has emotions, he shows them. What about Sasuke-kun? I don't even know if he's human."

Sakura just remained silent, relenting on her thoughts.

"Hey!" Naruto was about to protest when Ino called him dumb but his efforts was stopped by Shikamaru who was getting tired of it.

On the other hand, Sasuke s seething as he gazed malevolently at a certain blonde haired girl.

'How dare she even suggest to Sakura that she should forget me? And not even human!'

He knew he shouldn't be affected by what Ino has to say but then he also remembered that Sakura and Ino used to be friends so there would be a fairly big chance that Sakura would listen to her.

'_**Well, you look like a human and a handsome one too if I may add but you definitely act UNHUMAN especially towards a certain pink-haired girl we like!'**_

Sasuke decided he would deal with that fact later as he nervously (a bit only, he hoped anyway) turned to look at Sakura who was quiet all the while.

Naruto suddenly decided to butt in Sasuke's thoughts as he looked at his rival-but-actually-beat-friend-thouhg-he-would-probably-die-before-admitting-it-out-loud-and-vice-versa.

"Neh, Sasuke-teme, why are you white as a sheet of paper?" he asked him, mischief glinting in his cerulean eyes.

'**_Shannaro! That Ino-pig. How could she even suggest that? Maybe she wants to get Sasuke-kun from us!'_**

'_No."_

'_**No?'**_

"_No. She's right. We can't wait forever.'_

'_**But don't we love him?'**_

'_Hai. But he doesn't.'_

'_**Sigh, I guess you have a point there.'**_

'…'

'_**So, what's you're plan?'**_

'_I think we should forget him. Though I know it won't be that easy.'_

'_**Hell yeah! But there are other hottie's in Konoha you know. And we don't wanna be an old maid! Yuck.'**_

'_You're right.'_

'_**Of course, I am.'**_

"What are you talking about, dobe." Sasuke said coldly, greatly irritated at Naruto.

For what you ask?

Well for being an irritatingly interfering dobe.

For having the most ridiculous idea and dragging them with it.

For having a good eye sight and seeing him in this state.

But most of all, he was irritated at himself.

For being the most idiotic, selfish bastard he ever was, and for pushing Sakura away before.

"Maybe, he's regretting the times he pushed Sakura-chan away. What do you think Shikamaru?" Naruto asked the lazy genius as he ignored the murderous Uchiha glare Sasuke was sending him.

"Don't bother him Naruto." Shikamaru drawled on.

'It would mean a disaster for us if he gets angry again.'

Neji however wasn't thinking along the same lines as Shikamaru for he thought it would be something to see if the Uchiha goes crazy over a girl.

"You know Naruto, I think you're right." Neji said as he calmly looked at the ready-to-kill-hot-boiling-water-not-needed glare he was receiving from the dark haired rival.

It was quite fulfilling really.

Who knew that Uchiha Sasuke isn't the only one who's apparently hungry for revenge?

They just express it in different disastrous ways.

'Damn Hyuuga. I don't need a white eyed freak bastard right now. I have loads of problems to deal with him!'

"What Uchiha, all you can do is glare? That's pathetic." Neji said, his voice practically oozing with sarcasm.

"Hyuuga…" He growled dangerously as he activated his sharingan.

"Uh, guys. You may be forgetting a little troublesome fact. The girls will be able to sense us if you two continue doing that." Shikamaru said as he tried helplessly to stop the growing fight between the two.

Naruto can be heard cheering for neither of them.

'I'm surrounded by dunderheads.' Shikamaru though as he watched the two rivals glare at each other as if there is no tomorrow.

And, oh yeah, they both activated their blood line limit. How ingenious.

On the other hand, the girls are too busy thinking about Sakura's current devastated love life to notice the deadly aura, not to mention chakra coming from the bush not so far away from them.

"So, this is what they are up to. I never knew Kakashi had such influence in them." Pakkun stated as he stood hidden at a tree branch watching over the four girls who appear to be thinking or more like solving a very hard problem considering the look on their faces and the uneasy air hanging around them.

The boys seem to be hiding from view though he doubt if they will remain hidden for long since the two famous Konoha prodigies are cooking up trouble based on the murderous glares they are sending each other.

"Well I'd better report to Kakashi that the reason his supposed to be top ninjas are all busy being Peeping Toms to attend mission. He'll be…..overjoyed." He thought as he disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"So, Sakura..." Ino stared as she glanced over her pink haired friend.

Though before she could reply anything, a loud thud reached their ears as they searched the cause of this. It was as if someone fainted.

In which this case was Hinata.

"Hinata!" Tenten shrieked as she checked for her forehead.

Ino and Sakura both rushed over to help their unconscious friend.

"What the heck happened to her?" Ino said as she gazed at the girl's pale face quite different from her usual fair complexion.

Sakura checked on her pulse and said with great relief, "She's okay. I think she just fainted."

This statement caused not only great relief to the girls but great curiosity on their part.

'_Why would she faint?'_

Then, as if speaking her exact thoughts, Tenten wondered out loud, "Why would she faint?"

"I'm afraid that's going to be unanswered until Hinata-chan wakes up." Sakura replied to her chocolate haired friend.

Tenten sighed greatly.

"I hate waiting." Ino stated, pouting in which Sakura just smiled on sympathetically.

Next Chapter: Sakura's decision

A/N: Anou, I know you guys must hate me now, updating for sooooooooooooooooooooo long and giving you this crappy chapter. I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sorry. I promise I'll do better next time coz it would be the last one. Just don't hate me!

We had out term exam or finals, whichever you like to call it and I really really really really really need to study so I won't fail. Even geniuses has to study you know!

Oh, and I may be thinking of putting a sequel to this in which focuses more on Sasusaku pairing. So check it out okay!

Ja, for now

Kohana28 0 ; )


	6. Naruto's Big Mistake!

Chapter 6: Naruto's **BIG **Mistake

A/N: Okay, I know I did a teensy-weensy change in the chapter title but I think I find this one more appropriate. Besides, I want to make a point!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, as simple as that.

"When will Hinata-chan wake up?" Ino asked her pink haired friend who sat beside her as she examined the Hyuuga heiress with her worried brown eyes.

"Well, it must be soon since it's been a while when she fainted." Sakura said comfortingly as she tried to console the very anxious weapon mistress.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan's right. So don't worry now, okay?" Ino smiled reassuringly as she patted Tenten on the back.

"You're right. There couldn't be any possibility that …."

"…we're gonna survive this! We're dead. We're doomed. We're busted. We're …"

"……going to kill you if you don't shut up anytime soon, dobe." A very irritated Sasuke said as he bonked Naruto on the head.

"You shut up TEME! And don't bonk me in the head! That's **_my _**Sakura chan's job." Naruto whined as he rubbed the lump on his blonde head repeatedly, trying to ease the pain.

Too bad for him, Sasuke didn't miss a single word he whined.

"You idiot! I ought to…

" ….go to them immediately then. They might need my advice." Kakashi said excitedly as he closed his beloved book and hid it in his pocket.

Pakkun could only sigh as he gazed at the crinkling mask of Kakashi --- a sure sigh that he is smiling.

"Is that all?" the silver haired jounin asked the nin-dog.

"Yes, that would be all." Kakashi stood up and placed the money on the table beside an empty ramen bowl.

"Well, I'd better not waste time here and keep them….

"……waiting like idiots trapped in a cage!" Neji argued profusely as he looked into the bored, half closed eyes of Shikamaru.

"I know Neji, but what can we do? If we try to escape, there's the 60 chance of us getting caught." Shikamaru stated plainly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And how can you be so sure of that?" the raven haired lad finally spoke after beating the hell out of Naruto who lay unconscious on the hard forest floor.

"Well, I believe you two know already the reason though you may not want to admit it, they have gotten stronger now you know. Their senses will be alerted once we try to step out of pour hiding place. Plus, we can't just drag Naruto out here." Shikamaru drawled on as the two prodigies just glared at him.

"Huh? Who says you'll have to drag me? I'm perfectly fine. If it wasn't for teme here hitting me on the head …" Naruto was cut off his I-hate-Sasuke-teme-speech-this-is-all-his-fault as pointed at Sasuke.

"Okay, okay. We get your point. You're awake. So do us a favor and shut up already, dobe." Sasuke snapped at him.

"Hmph. Bastard."

"This whole thing is ……

"…disastrous!" Ino wailed loudly as she rapped her manicured finger nails impatiently on the picnic basket as they waited for Hinata to wake up and tell them what _exactly_ made her faint.

"I know Ino, but we just have to be patient. Okay?" Tenten replied to the twitching blonde.

"Yeah. And Ino-pig, could you please stop strumming your fingers? It's annoying." Sakura said, irritated.

"Woah, forehead girl! Looks like the attitude of a _certain _raven haired boy has rubbed on to you! What's next? Obsessing over ramen? Or perhaps a porn book!" The giggling blonde evaded the attacks her pink haired friend sent her as she heard Tenten laughed along.

"How dare you even suggest that Ino-pig!" shouted the fuming pink haired kunoichi as she launched another well aimed jab at her blonde best friend. She was not the hokage's apprentice for nothing after all.

"Hey! That hurt." Ino complained as she rubbed her arm lightly in which the punch she wasn't able to evade.

"Serves you right Ino-pig. Teaches you not to mess with me next time!"

"Whatever!" Ino said with a huff.

Silence lingered for some time after the ex-bestfriend-bestfriend-reinstated little argument as they stared at each other with one question on their minds.

"What to …."

"….do now?" Sasuke asked his three companions, a serious expression etched on his usual emotionless face.

Shikamaru just shrugged lazily. "I don't know. Wait I guess. It will be too troublesome to get caught."

"Hey, Hinata-chan isn't up yet."

Neji scoffed as he retorted, irritated. "Yeah, and wait for Hinata-sama to wake up and blow our cover. Wouldn't that be more troublesome?"

The leaves rustled as they stayed quiet for a while thinking of a plan to escape. As for Naruto, he just day dreamed about his favorite food. As the three shinobies are thinking/daydreaming, they did not felt the concealed presence of a silver haired jounin who appeared crouching beside them.

"Yo!"

"Ahh ----"

"Ahhhhhhhhhh."

"Ino-chan! What is it? Why did you scream?" Tenten asked as she readied her weapons as if expecting an attack anytime.

"Are you okay?" Sakura was at her side instantly, her green eyes quickly scanning the blonde's girl body for any injuries.

"Nothing." Both girls' attention snapped to her, eyes blazing.

"W-well, it was so quiet. It's quite deafening really, so I shouted." The blue eyed kunoichi hastily explained to the two fuming ladies. The air that hung suddenly changed into a heavy one.

"Ino…" Sakura growled dangerously as the blonde gal just laughed nervously.

"Is it just me or it's ……"

"…..getting hot here!" Naruto stated innocently as he loosened his collar. Four pairs of eyes stared at him disapprovingly as he sheepishly grinned at them.

"What?" The disapproving glance turned into deadly glares as the kyuubi vessel almost shrank in fear.

"Nothing. You just almost exposed our position."

"With your troublesome scream…."

"……like a girl, dobe." Sasuke finished while Kakashi only shook his head.

"Haven't I thought you anything Naruto?"

"Hey! It isn't my …"

"…fault! I'm just so darn bored! "Ino reasoned trying to amend herself.

"We know Ino but you shouldn't have shouted! Or at least and I mean the _very least_, you should have warned us! "Tenten said as she frowned at her sheepish looking friend.

"Yeah. Ear drums are very sensitive Ino-pig. Now with that shrill vocal chord of yours, we may be deaf forever." Ino just stuck out her tongue at the grinning pink haired kunoichi.

"Whatever forehead girl! Just because you have a bigger size of forehead than normal doesn't mean your smarter that anyone else."

"Ino-pig, just because you're heavier than anybody else doesn't mean I can't throw you in the river!"

"Still-Big-Foreheaded-girl!"

"Ino-pig-boar!"

Flames shot in both girls' eyes as they are determined to outwit each other in name calling. Who says only Sasuke and Neji can have their glaring contest?

"Uh, guys…? What are ….."

"….you guys doing here?" Kakashi finally inquired the bewildered shinobies as he tried to hide the mischief glint in his dark eyes which matches his hidden smirk.

'_Payback time……or not really. I'm actually doing them a favor, really.'_

The four boys just stared at him, unmoving. Even the loud mouthed one (and we all have an idea who is it) didn't find any words (or insult in his case) to speak.

The masked jounin just sweat dropped at his students' reaction as he inwardly sighed.

'_This is going to take a lot work than I thought.'_

"So…." Kakashi prompted them to speak for themselves as he looked at them one by one, straight in their eyes.

"Shouldn't you ask that to yourself?" Said Sasuke as he stared defiantly in his sensei's eyes. He couldn't let him know that he, THE Uchiha Sasuke was persuaded by Naruto, the loud mouth, to spy on the girls. His reputation was at stake.

Besides, he didn't like the mysterious glint he found in his black, lazy looking orbs. Being an observant one, he only sees those queer glints when he was reading his favorite orange little book.

Not a good sign.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Nice try _Sasuke-kun_. Of course I have the right to ask you this question first. Since You." He pointed to Sasuke," And you." He pointed to Neji, "And you." To Shikamaru before finally pointing to Naruto. "And you, are supposed to be in the middle of a forest clearing exactly eight hours ago!"

Kakashi enjoyed thoroughly the effect of his words on the poor four shinobies as he tried to stifle the laughter waiting to burst out from his lips behind his mask. But of course, he resisted it. He wasn't an ex-ANBU for nothing after all. So he just contented himself in watering his eyes and clutching his stomach.

Shikamaru's eyes seemed to never be able to look normal again as it popped out from its sockets while Neji sat there apparently fossilized. Naruto let out a little shriek as he fainted again. Meanwhile, Sasuke just stiffened as his eyes twitched horribly.

'Think, Shikamaru! Think!'

All of a sudden one hand lazily pointed to the unconscious body of Naruto. Neji and Sasuke, getting the drift of apparently, Shikamaru's plan, also raised their hands automatically and pointed it at Naruto.

Kakashi arched an eyebrow at the kind of answer he got.

"So, you mean to tell me that Naruto here was able to persuade you three to go and spy the girls?" Kakashi inquired innocently. Too innocently for the three's taste.

The lazy genius just shrugged as he felt two pairs of glaring eyes piercing his head.

"It's too troublesome to be left alone you know. They were the first one to …."

"….agree?" The weapon mistress tried her best to calm two of her closest friends who were presently trying to strangle each other.

"Hmph."

"Hmph."

With a huff, both girls turned opposite directions and crossed their arms over their chest.

"Really, you two are acting like two year olds."

"And, really Tenten-chan you're acting like our mother." Ino and Sakura replied simultaneously.

"Well, you girls should behave then." They all looked at each other and laughed as they started chatting again.

Out of nowhere, Ino asked Sakura if where she thinks Sasuke is. Just out of curiosity.

"Oh? Well, I suppose he is training." Answered Sakura nonchalantly.

"Yeah. Now I remembered why I wasn't able to spar with Neji and go with you guys!" Tenten suddenly exclaimed earning both girls' attention.

"What?" Ino asked.

"Haven't you heard? Kakashi-sensei is supposed to be training them along with Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru!" Tenten explained to her two friends.

Seems like they already forgot that Hinata was there. Oh well.

"What! I did not know about that! That Shikamaru, he didn't tell ME! Always saying troublesome…"

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered as he sighed inwardly. It was the only word the best describes their current situation.

"Who could have known that four of Konoha's best chuunins are perverts after all? What would the people say?" Kakashi grinned cheekily at them. He enjoyed torturing them, especially in a situation like this where they couldn't even retort at him. One move and their cover will be blown off.

"Well, I could not really blame you now could I?" The three teens almost want to gag.

'_Yeah, because you're a pervert yourself.'_ Sasuke thought, disgusted that this man in fron of them is his sensei.

"They have really fit bodies, do they?" the white haired jounin continued as he watched their eyes flame.

'_Hehehehehe. They're falling for my trap! Hook, line, …'_

'_If he says one more comment I swear I'll skin him alive!_' Neji thought murderously.

'One more…..and they're done for.'

"Especially Sakura, don't you think that color suits her well? Maybe I'll contact Jiraiya-san for the next edition of Icha Icha Paradise. She'll be a perfect inspiration for him!" Kakashi exclaimed.

'_That's it!'_

"YOU'RE A DEAD PERVERT WALKING!"

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

Three kunai whizzed past his raven locks as they head straight for Kakashi who immediately disappeared in a smoke.

'…_sink!'_

The Uchiha prodigiy's eyes widened in realization as he heard the pearly eyed Hyuuga curse and Shikamaru mutter "troublesome" under his breath.

They're definitely done for.

"PERVERTS!" Hinata suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs as she abruptly sat up and pointed at a _certain_ bush, not so far away from them.

"Hinata-chan? Are you….uh okay?" Tenten asked the bewildered girl. Actually, she meant to say _normal,_ for the shy girl was usually timid and is not able to shout that loud even if she wanted to, but thought it was rude so she resisted.

"I knew it! Who was it Hinata-chan?" Sakura exclaimed as she did a series of hand seals and punched the ground with her glowing hands making a big crack erupt towards the said bush.

The three boys froze as they saw the monstrous strength, Sakura demonstrated on them as while ago, stunning them a bit.

They would have been impressed if not for the tiny fact that it was being used against them.

"I-it w-was …umm… "Hinata suddenly stuttered (back to her old self) as if not quite believing it herself as sweat trickled down her flushed face.

"Hinata-chan. Who was it?" Ino asked the shaken girl.

"Yeah, so we will be able to beat that idiot into a bloody pulp. Whoever he is!" Tenten exclaimed, readying her weapons.

"Have I told you that Tenten had gotten better in our previous spars?

"And Sakura's the apprentice of the Fifth? The one with monstrous strength?"

"Ino's troublesome aims are getting better too."

"And if Hinata-sama's hanging out with that kind of crowd…"

"…she's bound to be …"

"Birds of the same feather….."

"Whoever _they_ are, Tenten-chan." Sakura corrected the chocolate haired girl quietly.

"What? Do you mean to say there are more of them?" Ino stood up and got ready into an attack stance.

"Four to be exact, actually." Sakura replied, glaring darkly at the bush as it quivered.

"Neji-nee-chan…." The blue haired girl suddenly spoke as Tenten's ears caught the name.

"Huh..?

"Shikamaru-san…"

"Oh my God! Don't tell me…" Blue eyes widened, disbelieving.

"Sasuke-san…"

"…that it was them who…" Green eyes narrowed, suspiciously.

".Naruto-kun….." Hinata spoke the last name so softly that the other girls weren't able to register the last name. They were too shocked, anyway.

"…spied on us!" The three girls shouted as they gaped at the bushes where the three mentioned earlier emerged looking embarrassed.

5

4

3

2

1

The three boys' inwardly sweat dropped at the reaction of the girls. They knew that once their done processing the information, they'll be history.

Suddenly, Sasuke held up his hand which snapped the three girls back in reality as they all stared at him.

'Wow, she looks more stunning closer.' The self pronounced avenger melted inwardly at the sight of Sakura's green orbs in his dark ones.

'_Uchiha, focus! Or you'll never see her again.'_

_Right._

"Before you jump into conclusions, we were not spying on you." Sasuke announced, loud and clear as he glanced at his gaping companions, inwardly sending them a message as he tried to remain his aloof façade.

He thought they were finally saved when he saw relief in his sparring partner's dark brown eyes but he was mistaken.

"Oh yeah? Enlighten us please as to why you were here a while ago and did not show yourselves by concealing your chakra and hiding in those bushes while we were here?"

"Yeah!" Tenten's eyes suddenly blushed and pointed accusingly at them.

"How long have you been here?" Tenten inwardly panicked as she thought she'd never live to tell if Hyuuga Neji heard her confession a while ago. He may hate her forever!

Sasuke glanced back at his companion's panic stricken faces as he racked his brains for any reasons.

Any will do.

AHA!

"You see, we were training with Kakashi-sensei and he thought that our skills in stealth aren't up to scratch so he asked us to spy on you girls. Very troublesome." Shikamaru drawled on his usual bored voice.

Neji and Sasuke inwardly grimaced at the reason he used but nodded anyway.

"So we went here and saw you talking and…"

'_Sounds like for weaklings but this will have to do.'_

"…Hinata-sama fainted when she saw us."

'_Oh well, this is our fate.'_

3

2

1

The boys sweat never seemed to stop trailing down their faces as they wait for the verdict of their chosen reason.

They knew it was lame.

Anytime now they will be shouted at "liars."

And beaten into a pulp. Boys can never really hit girls you know!

But they never expected it to be…

"Really?" Ino said and seemed to relax after their explanation.

… accepted!

Although Sakura had her eyes narrowed she seemed to see it possible as she said. "I'll talk to Kakashi-sensei later."

All of them sighed inwardly in relief.

'_I thought they heard my confession for Neji!'_

'_I thought we'll be bloodied by now by Tenten's weapons. She always polishes them very well to be really sharp. I don't want to be a dummy for her weapons.'_

'_Whew. What a close one! And to think I shouted that I like Shika a while ago. Good thing they just arrived.'_

'_We're still lucky. I'll never live it down if Sakura discovered I spied on her! Stupid dobe. Stupid idea.'_

All swell, ends well!

Wrong.

'_That's definitely a relief! I thought the boys have turned over a new leaf…for the worse and became Kakashi–sensei jr. But still, som thing's amiss…'_

"Where's Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked suddenly, breaking everyone from their train of thoughts.

Kakashi smirked as he raised his camera, finger hovering over the button, ready to click for souvenirs of his awesome plan. He was currently crouching low on a branch of a tree just beside the river.

And did he mention that it gave a great view of what was happening below?

Perfect.

"Ah, too bad boys. Your luck ran out. Your plan had a big glitch……"

'_NARUTO!'_

'_Shit, we forgot about him!'_

'_Troublesome…_'

Silence lingered as all of the girls furrowed their foreheads.

"Yeah. Where is he? I am sure I felt four chakra patterns a while ago!" Sakura said.

"Maybe you're mistaken?" Sasuke said, hoping to redeem the topic elsewhere. However, Sakura saw it differently as she thought Sasuke was insulting her again.

"No. I am sure. Come to think of it, the chakra pattern resembled his greatly!" Sakura said coldly.

'_Dobe this is your entire fault! I'm seriously going to kill you slowly.'_

Suddenly, a large orange ball (or so they thought) emerged from the bush the guys were hiding a while ago colliding with Sasuke and tackling the unknowing raven haired lad into the ground and earning a shriek from Hinata.

"Naruto-kun!"

"What!" All of them shouted as Sasuke pushed the ramen loving boy away from him.

"Dobe."

"Guys! Did you tell the girls that we spied on them the whole time and that we heard every thing they talked about? And that we did not attend Kakashi-sensei's training?" Naruto said, quite forgetting that they were in front of the girls.

Typical neh?

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

Sasuke and Neji shouted, even the troublesome guy Shikamaru shouted.

"Okay, okay I get it. So, there's no problem right…?" Naruto said as he turned around only to be faced with four furious ladies.

And the rest is history.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

"Ah, sounds like bells. I finally earned the fruit of my hard work!" Kakashi sighed happily as he looked at the pictures of the frightened faces of the four boys he caught.

"I wonder how much I will be able to sell these."

Owari…….for now!

A/N: Finally! It's done! Tell me what you think about this on your reviews.

And watch out for the sequel ("What's a guy got to do?")! Coming this year, PROMISE!

Kohana28


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